


A Love Like This? I Must Be Dreaming!

by Morganoire



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dimileth Week (Fire Emblem), F/M, Fluff, I haven’t written in so long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morganoire/pseuds/Morganoire
Summary: King Dimitri finds himself overwhelmed with work after the war, and has no way of knowing what - or who - he will find when he pushes himself too hard.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	A Love Like This? I Must Be Dreaming!

The afternoon air wafting through Dimitri’s work room was just like any other, cool and crisp. He lifted his writing quill and in his moment of rest, he shuddered. Perhaps Faerghus would get its first snow soon. Knocks on the door stirred him from his thoughts. “Come in,” Dimitri said with an audible tiredness in his voice. His friend and guardian Dedue opened the door with an apologetic look.

“I apologize, Your Majesty,” he began, and though Dimitri opened his mouth to speak, Dedue cut him off. “Ahem, Dimitri.” The tall, dark-skinned man bowed his head. “It appears that the messenger who came the other day forgot to bring you a fair amount of paperwork… and that paperwork has been requested to be filled by tomorrow.” Dimitri sighed and shook his head, earning a sorrowful expression from Dedue.

“Very well, I will just have to finish it along with all this other work.” Dimitri lifted the legislation he was currently writing and his face fell when he saw the pile that had already amassed. He took the papers from Dedue and added them to the pile grudgingly. “You may leave now,” Dimitri said to his friend. Dedue nodded and left the room, closing the door silently behind him. 

Dimitri then sighed and set about his work again. The monotony of it grew old quickly, and his mind slowly grew hazy, making him reread and rewrite the same words over and over again. His eye hurt from being strained and the hours ticked by. The amount of paperwork Dimitri had received since ascending the throne was immense, but Dimitri knew it had to be done. He lost all track of time with his quill to paper, until the strain was too much to bear. His head thumped on the desk as everything went dark.

Dimitri woke to the soothing scent of a flower that he could not name, although he was sure Dedue could, had he been there. He opened his eye and slowly sat up, listening to the faint calls of songbirds in the distance and watching them dance through the sky. Dimitri was startled to feel soft grass between his fingers and looked down to reassure himself that it was truly real.

“Ah, I see you’re awake now,” a calm voice said, not quite disturbing the tranquility of the place, and it was more as though the presence had simply just entered Dimitri’s awareness. He turned his head to see the voice’s owner, and his mouth fell slightly agape with disbelief. Standing before him was a gorgeous woman with gentle eyes and dark blue hair to match. She had flowers in her hair and scattered about her clothes, lavender roses from the looks of them. The woman wore pure white garments, and her presence felt almost holy. Dimitri was shocked to see her ears were pointed and coming from her back were to semi-transparent purple wings.

He found himself unable to speak as a strange feeling washed over him. “Um… yes?” He finally was able to say. The place and the woman seemed surreal, as though they couldn’t possibly exist, and yet he saw, heard, felt everything around him with his own senses. It couldn’t be a dream.

The winged woman gave him a small smile. “I don’t see many adults around here,” she said, lifting off the ground and hovering around Dimitri. “My name is Byleth. Who are you?” Byleth tilted her head at Dimitri.

“I am Dimitri, King of Faerghus,” Dimitri felt as though him being king wouldn’t really mean anything to Byleth, but it was too late to take it back now. He stood and looked around, unable to find any familiar landmarks. “Where exactly am I right now?” The grass tickled his fingers as he wracked his mind, trying to remember what he had been doing earlier.

“That’s a good question,” Byleth responded, taking Dimitri completely by surprise. Despite being what Dimitri assumed was a fairy, Byleth’s personality did not match what he had thought them to be like. She was quiet, with telltale facial expressions being the only clue as to what she could be thinking or feeling. “Do you want to look around?” She said, gesturing to the scenery around them. Not too far away was a crystal-clear lake graced by trees in their autumn hues, and beyond that stood towering mountains covered with snow.

“Yes, I think I’d like that.” The two began walking towards the lake, and a strange feeling resurfaced in Dimitri’s heart and mind. One feeling urged him to ask Byleth more about herself, while the other urged him that there was something familiar about the scene around him. Fortunately or unfortunately - he couldn’t decide which - Byleth started talking first.

“Dimitri…” Her eyes widened. “Could it really be…?” She looked at him differently now, and tentatively reached her hand towards his forehead.

“I apologize, but I’m certain we’ve never met before,” he said as his mind told him to back away but his heart told him to let her touch him. Dimitri’s heart beat faster and faster, but he just couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her. The glimmer of hope that he saw in her beautiful eyes fascinated him, and her delicate fingers touched his face at long last. And when they did, it all came rushing back.

Memories, or rather, memories of memories flooded his mind. He saw himself as a child playing with a young fairy, whom he realized was a younger Byleth. He saw them splashing each other in the lake, playing in the snow together, making flower crowns for each other, and talking all their childhood problems away. He saw himself at 13 years old, just after the Tragedy of Duscur sobbing to Byleth, who had grown with him and been there to comfort him and be the one light in his life. He saw himself at 17, about to go to the Officers Academy, saying goodbye to Byleth for what he didn’t know would be the last time until today. 

Byleth came back into focus, a grown fairy just as he was a grown man. “... Do you remember?” She gave him that warm, gentle smile, the one he had fallen in love with before that he was now falling in love with all over again.

“Byleth… yes, I…” Tears sprang into Dimitri’s eye, although he wasn’t sure exactly why. “I do remember… and I’m sorry. I left you and didn’t come back until today.” His hands felt Byleth’s back just above her wings and he drew her into a heartfelt hug. “My… dear friend… who I shared so many wonderful times with and who has helped me through my greatest grief… I’m sorry.” Dimitri’s lip quivered and a lump formed in his throat, and before he knew it, tears were running down his face as he sobbed, his tears wetting Byleth’s hair.

“I’m just glad you’re alright.” She said, giving Dimitri a gentle squeeze. “I was so worried that something had happened…” her voice trailed off as Dimitri’s shoulders slumped and he let go of her. He took a few deep breaths before giving Byleth a wobbly smile. 

“Well, a lot has happened, actually…” Dimitri and Byleth reached the lake, and Dimitri beckoned for her to sit. He told her all about his time at the Academy and about the years he spent in the wilderness living like a wild beast. He told her of his friends, who had brought him back from the brink and fought at his side to end the war, and of his never-ending pile of paperwork since the war’s end. Byleth listened to him patiently, which Dimitri was glad of, although he still worried he was boring her.

“I… I’m sorry,” she said simply, her wings drooping as she shook her head. “That must have been hard to go through.” Byleth then looked him in the eye, the sorrow clearly reflected on her own. “I wish I could have helped you.” She placed her hand next to her on the grass in between herself and Dimitri. “All I could do was hope you were alright, and hope that maybe… you would return someday.”

A moment passed in silence before Dimitri spoke up. “Now that I remember you and this place, I certainly am glad I have you -” Dimitri’s face reddened as his slip of tongue had revealed how he truly felt about his longtime friend. “I mean, this place - to return to.” Byleth laughed, and the pair conversed for a while longer, reminiscing about the past. 

The sun slowly set over the lake, changing the clouds from white and grey into shades of orange, pink, and purple. The colors were reflected on the snow of the mountain in front of them as well as the lake and the shore they sat on. The beautiful scene combined with the emotions tied to his and Byleth’s past and how gorgeous she looked now grew to be too much for the King’s heart.

“Byleth… after everything that has happened, all the experiences we shared, and even the ones we didn’t, I’ve come to realize something, being with you today.” Dimitri set his hand on the grass just next to Byleth’s, feeling adrenaline pumping through him. “I may be human, and you may be a fairy, but that doesn’t matter to me.” He found the courage to look directly at her blue eyes, where the sunset was faintly reflected. “... I love you,” Dimitri finally managed to say.

“I love you, too.” Byleth smiled as she spoke these words, so even though she didn’t embellish it, Dimitri still knew she meant in with all her heart. “And I missed you, I really did.” The pair clasped hands. “I know you’ll have to leave soon, but I wish we could be together forever.” Her hand still clutched his, but she looked down at the ground, then at the lake, and out at the blazing sun as the last of it disappeared behind the mountain. Dimitri opened his mouth to speak, but his hand was forced away from Byleth’s, and the last thing he heard was her saying “If only…” before everything went dark.

Dimitri heard a faint knocking sound while his eye was still closed, followed by the door slowly opening. The subtle smell of chamomile reached his nose, and he ran his hand over his eyepatch, slowly opening his eye.

“Oh! He’s alright!” A soft voice called out, and its owner, the gentle devotee and one of Dimitri’s former classmates, Mercedes, came into focus. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Dimitri. I think you’ve been working yourself a bit too hard, though.” Dimitri gave her a confused look. He was in bed, so how could he have been working too hard? “Felix said he found you passed out and asleep in your office yesterday. You really should take better care of yourself,” Mercedes chided, gently setting the tea down on the nightstand next to the bed. 

Dedue came into the room with a concerned look on his face. “Your - Dimitri, are you alright?” His eyes seemed to look past Dimitri a moment after he asked the question.

“Yes, I feel fine, Dedue, but… I think I will take things more carefully today.” He stopped when he realized that Dedue hardly seemed to be listening to him.

“Dimitri… I must ask… who is that?” He gave a quizzical look behind Dimitri, who rolled over slightly. 

“What?” Dimitri sat up, shocked upon seeing what lay next to him. A woman was there, taking slow, steady breaths, clearly still asleep. Her ears weren’t pointed and she had no wings. Not only that, but her hair was green, so she couldn’t be Byleth. She rolled over slowly and opened her eyes, which were a minty green like her hair. Her face and her perfect figure were all too familiar. The woman sat up, yawned, and smiled tiredly at Dedue.

“It’s a bit of a long story, but I’m a longtime friend of Dimitri’s,” she said, blushing somewhat before continuing, “ and, we... love each other.” The voice, the way she said things, made Dimitri want to interrupt her, but he didn’t. “My name is Byleth. It’s nice to meet you.” Dimitri sat there, bewildered for a few moments before finally sending off Dedue and Mercedes, promising to explain everything later. 

“Byleth?” He asked with utter disbelief, but that disbelief disappeared when she gave him the smile only she could give.

“It really is me, Dimitri. I wished to be able to be with you, no matter what it took. I used every bit of magic in me to bring myself here and make myself human.” She clasped Dimitri’s hand gently. “I’m so glad it paid off…” Dimitri knew she wasn’t lying.

“I love you so much.” He said as he pulled her close into an embrace. He couldn’t believe this was real, but it was, and he had never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t written anything in almost two months, so I’m glad to have written this! I missed Dimitri and Byleth so much and seeing them and reading and writing about them just makes me happy! Anyways, this is for the Fairy AU prompt for Dimileth week 2020, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Comments and kudos are always welcome!


End file.
